Cane seat for chaiks



J. B. SAWYER CANE SEAT FOR cums. 7

No. 32,535. Patented June 11, 1861.

.17; We n 50 r- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. SAWYER, OF TEMPLETON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CANE SEAT FOR CHAIRS.

Specification of Letters Patent No 32,535, dated June 11, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joe. B. SAWYER, of Templeton, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Cane Seat for Chairs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan'of my improved chair seat; Fig. 2, a plan of a portion of the wooden frame or bottom, before the ratan is applied to it; Fig. 3, detail to be referred to hereafter.

The ordinary cane bottom chair as it is called has a wooden frame or seat A. of these drawings, which is perforated with holes around its inner edge, narrow strips or splits of ratan are extended from side to side of this frame, the ends of the strips passing through the holes in the wooden frame and being woven or interlaced as shown in Fig. 3,here the strips 66 are laid in pairs at right angles to each other, each pair occupying one hole, other strips 6, called the filling, are then woven" in diagonally, these latter help to tighten up the first or rectangular strips, but do not add much to the strength of the seat, the principal strain coming on the strips which cross at right angles.

The object of my present invention is to produce a stronger and more durable cane chair seat and at the same time save much of the material out of which such seats have heretofore been made; and consists in a cane seat for a chair, as a new article of manufacture and consistingof a close woven single fabric made by interweaving or interlacing a greater number of strands or splits of ratan crossing at right angles to each other from opposite sides of the frame A. and fastened in holes around the seat frame, instead of going over a rung as other close seats do, the splits being thus brought close to each other to form a solid or continuous surface to the chair bottom instead of the more frail open work represented in Fig. 3.

That others skilled in the art may understand and use my invention I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried out the same.

In the said drawings A. is the frame, B. the cane seat which is formed by the interweaving of the strands c of ratan, the holes f, Fig. 2. are bored around the inner edge of the frame A. in the usual manner, but as I have inserted four strands into each hole I have found it advisable to cut away the upper surface of the frame A. around each hole as shown at c' Fig. 2 to allow the strands to be spread out and lie flat over theedge of the frame instead of riding upon each other as they would do if crowded into the ordinary round hole. When thus formed the seat B. is much stronger andmore durable than that represented in Fig.3, a greater number of strands being employed and each strand being intended to bear its proper proportion of the weight applied to the seat when in use; and from the strands being in close proximity to each other and forming a uniform and smooth surface, the chair bottom will be less liable to be torn or broken when brought into contact with hard or rough substances. l

In some cases I propose to form the seat B. in a sheet or cloth by weaving together strands of ratan, and then attach it to the frame A. In this case, the inner portion 9' of the frame would be sawed out around the line which the holes f. occupy, and after the ratan cloth had been stretched over it be again inserted and secured to the outer portion 72, of the frame by screws or other suitable means of fastening.

hat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent as a new article of manufacture is A cane bottom chair, made single, but the strands of ratan in which are so interwoven as to form a continuous bearing surface and are secured to the frame A. by suitable holes 7. 2'. in the manner substantially as specified.

JOSEPH B. SAWYER. 

